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Encyclopedia - Observation Balloons

Observation balloons were
commonly adopted by all sides and considered ideal in the static trench
warfare conditions largely peculiar to the First World War.

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Gas or hot-air propelled,
such balloons were by no means a new innovation in terms of military
adoption, having been put to use as early as the 18th and 19th centuries.
However they were deployed extensively along the Western Front in
particular. Winched into the air, seldom alone, they were usually
accompanied by one or two others for comparative observation purposes.

Observation readings were
passed down via the use of flags or occasionally by radio, and balloon
operators would generally remain in the air for hours at a spell. It
was regarded as a dangerous job, for although observation balloons were
invariably heavily protected by anti-aircraft and machine gun fire and by
wire meshes dangled between groups of balloons, they were often the
irresistible stationary target of enemy aircraft.

So far as the various air
forces were concerned, bringing down an observation balloon was regarded as
a valid victory and were added to each pilot's list of 'kills' in the same
manner as enemy aircraft. This was because downing balloons was
considered something of a hazardous occupation, although some pilots
established reputations as 'balloon busters' (such as the Belgian
Willy Coppens,
who brought down 35 balloons, the highest single total of the war).

Bringing down balloons was
deceptively problematic. Standard bullets were usually insufficient in
themselves, passing directly through the balloon's fabric without setting it
alight. When under attack operators on the ground would hastily winch
down the balloon and unless the attacking aircraft could succeed in setting
the balloon alight - by the use of incendiary or explosive bullets - he
would have failed in his mission. Many pilots were careful not to
pursue balloons beneath 1,000 feet for fear of the devastating consequences
of anti-aircraft fire.

British servicemen were
permitted to don parachutes to escape should the balloon come under
successful enemy fire, although the chances of a safe escape once the
balloon was ablaze was slim.

Balloons were additionally
used for home defence purposes and were flown in groups via cables in major
cities such as London, each balloon dangling steel cables to form a kind of
apron into which attacking enemy aircraft could find themselves entangled
and so be brought down. To evade such defences attacking aircraft were
obliged to fly at ever higher altitudes, reducing the likelihood of a
successful, accurate bombing raid.